"This nominee has devoted his entire career to a conservative Republican agenda," she charged.

Judge Kavanaugh finally got his chance for rebuttal late in the afternoon, making his case as a neutral, impartial judge.

"I don't decide cases based on personal or policy preferences," he told the Senate panel. "I am not a pro-plaintiff or pro-defendant judge. I am not a pro-prosecution or pro-defense judge. I am a pro-law judge."

And in a positive development for the razor-thin GOP Senate majority, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced former Sen. John Kyl will fill the late Sen. John McCain's seat.

Kyl will have the option to hold the Arizona Senate seat until the next general election in 2020, but it's unclear if he'll stay in the post that long.

"I haven't been able to get that assurance from Kyl yet; what I have gotten is a commitment to serve Arizona through at least this session of Congress," Ducey told reporters Tuesday.

Kyl plans to be in Washington in time to vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation. The 76-year-old has been one of the Supreme Court nominee's champions, working to guide his nomination through the Senate.

Judge Kavanaugh will be in the hot seat the rest of the week, fielding questions from both sides on topics like abortion, executive privilege, and gun control.

Meanwhile, Republicans remain hopeful they'll have him confirmed before the Supreme Court convenes on Oct. 1.